The ‘next generation’ of successful schools will focus on teaching students as individuals, not as members of a group.
They will treat individual students as unique individuals with unique personalities and backgrounds. These schools will also be high-tech, engaging students in ways that enhance their learning. Teachers will use technology to teach and students will use technology to learn. This next ‘generation’ of schools will push traditional schooling beyond current forms, models, and even purpose.
Schools of the future will improve student outcomes by building community. They will be places that put students at the center of everything they do. Schools that embrace a culture of continuous learning, make connections with parents, and actively involve families are on the rise. These schools value work and community-based learning, outreach and service. They will find a balance between innovation and execution.
The creative learner: moving from the self to the social; The exploratory learner: moving from dependency to independence; and The critical thinker: moving from the known to the unknown.
Tomorrow’s schools’ schedules will also incorporate a shift to online delivery for a portion of the day to provide students, teachers, and schools with greater productivity and efficiency. Some schools have already made use of flex scheduling. In addition to being good for students, this practice is good for educators and the school as a whole because it creates more flexibility in planning and scheduling.
School schedules will include online delivery for a portion of the day. Rather than hiring more teachers or buying more textbooks, schools will make smarter use of technology to reduce costs while increasing student productivity.
Good schools already have a variety of sophisticated goals that are often related to the intellectual mission of the school. These goals are critical to the academic experience and help define the values of the school.
Successful ‘schools of the future’ will recruit, develop, and leverage the talent of great teachers. They will use differentiated role-based compensation systems to reward teachers for their performance and positive impact on students’ learning. This kind of project is being undertaken by the New Zealand’s National Science Challenge (NSC) – a national initiative to engage young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).